I Don’t Want Kids

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Steve Mays

Nobody Trailer

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Steve Mays

Action is my movie genre-of-choice and I’ve watched a bunch of them. But I’m not sure I’ve seen a better one than Nobody, staring Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, The Post, Nebraska) as Hutch Mansell, “an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody.”

I watched most of this movie standing in front of my TV. Don’t recall doing that before. Hell, Christopher Lloyd has an action role in this movie and he rocks it. One more thing… I paid $20 to rent this film for 48 hours. Haven’t done that before but I’ll get my money’s worth when I watch it again tomorrow night. So much going on in the action scenes there was no way to catch it all.

And while I’m all hyperbolic, this movie might have the best soundtrack of any action movie I’ve seen and I’ve always thought Quintin Tarantino films owned that.

The Turning Point

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Steve Mays

The Beatles: Get Back

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Steve Mays

Peter Jackson has released a “sneak peek” at his COVID-delayed documentary, The Beatles: Get Back. He stresses this is not a trailer or a sequence, rather a “montage” to give you a feel for “the spirit” of the film. Can’t imagine where or how he come up with 56 hours of “never before seen” footage of the band.

The Beatles hit the U.S. airwaves in February of 1964 (“I Want to Hold Your Hand”). I was a sophomore in high school and I won’t even try to tell you want a big deal this was. Nothing even close in the 50+ years since.

The Beatles broke up in 1969 so they provided the soundtrack for my high school and college years. I am really looking forward to this documentary. PS: It sure looks like they were having fun.

Broadcast News: Keep it to yourself

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Steve Mays

View on YouTube

IVISII Ring Light

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Steve Mays

When I started messing around with video there were no smart phones; no YouTube or Vimeo; no social media. And while most of the gear changed over the years, my lighting was usually a couple of desk lamps that made me look like I was being interrogated.

When the pandemic hit and we started seeing lots of folks — including some professionals — streaming from their homes, I started noticing some of them using a round light that did a much better job than my little banker’s lamp. So I ordered one.

There are undoubtedly many companies making these but I went with the IVISII Ring light, based on this review:

At $150 it’s something of an indulgence but self-indulgence is what I’m all about these days. Once we get it we’ll share some video and you can decide if it was worth it.

Turbo Encabulator

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Steve Mays

YouTube notes: “This is the first time Turbo Encabulator was recorded with picture. I shot this in the late 70’s at Regan Studios in Detroit on 16mm film. The narrator and writer is Bud Haggert. He was the top voice-over talent on technical films. He wrote the script because he rarely understood the technical copy he was asked to read and felt he shouldn’t be alone. We had just finished a production for GMC Trucks and Bud asked since this was the perfect setting could we film his Turbo Encabulator script. He was using an audio prompter referred to as “the ear”. He was actually the pioneer of the ear. He was to deliver a live speech without a prompter. After struggling in his hotel room trying to commit to memory he went to plan B. He recorded it to a large Wollensak reel to reel recorder and placed it in the bottom of the podium. With a wired earplug he used it for the speech and the “ear” was invented. Today every on-camera spokesperson uses a variation of Bud’s innovation. Dave Rondot (me) was the director and John Choate was the DP on this production. The first laugh at the end is mine. My hat’s off to Bud a true talent.”